Finding a free VPN that works well and doesn't have a bad reputation for collecting and selling your data to third parties, or even for being an outright scam, can be difficult. A common adage about free online services says, "If something is free, you are the product," referring to services that collect and sell information about you and your online habits to data brokers and third parties for targeted online advertising opportunities.
Based on our in-depth testing, you should consider the following factors when choosing a free VPN:
- Support for the devices you use
- Enough data, speed, and server access for your needs
- Strong encryption and a reliable kill switch
- A clear privacy policy from a reputable provider
We've tested four of the most popular services and have selected the best free virtual private networks below.
If you'd like to learn more about VPN privacy, check out our article on the topic. You can also explore our VPN recommendations for torrenting, both free and paid, and if you're looking for more OS-specific options, we've published our favorite free options for all major platforms: Windows, Android, Mac, and iPhone.
Since 2025, we've published reviews for over 20 different VPN services. These reviews followed months of research, test development, and collaboration among our engineers, testers, writers, photographers, and editors. Our process for each review involves extensive work behind the scenes, including rigorous checks and balances, to deliver the most accurate and useful test results so you can make the right purchasing decisions for your needs.
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Best Free VPN
Private Browsing7.5Security8.6Policies & Practices6.3Data Limit:N/ACountries:1See all our test resultsSimultaneous Devices:4.6Proton VPN Free is the best free VPN we've tested for most people. Its unlimited data makes it a practical choice for everyday browsing, since you don't have to ration your usage or worry about hitting a monthly limit. It has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, and it doesn't display in-app advertisements. The VPN's kill switch is effective at stopping outgoing traffic during connection interruptions, preventing data leaks. You can also use the VPN as a guest without providing an email address or payment information. Proton Free supports WireGuard and Stealth (Proton's in-house protocol, designed to bypass forms of Deep Packet Inspection used in government censorship).
There are some drawbacks worth noting, however: you can only keep one device connected to the VPN at a time, and the app assigns you a server automatically rather than letting you choose one. Proton doesn't block streaming on the free plan, but official support for it is reserved for paying subscribers, so it's not a dependable choice for accessing a particular region's streaming library. Torrenting support and built-in ad blocking also require a paid membership. Additionally, Proton scored low in our assessment of the company's broader privacy practices, so if you care more about your anonymity than about unlimited usage, we'd recommend looking at Windscribe Free instead.
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Best Free VPN For Privacy
Private Browsing9.2Security8.6Policies & Practices9.4Data Limit:10 GBCountries:10See all our test resultsSimultaneous Devices:9.9Free VPNs are difficult to trust because they're often unproven, collect excessive user data, or rely on questionable business models. Windscribe Free stands out as a clear exception, with straightforward privacy and no-logs policies that are easy to parse. You can create an account with just a username to receive 2GB of data per month, or add an email address to raise your monthly limit to 10GB. You can also sign up using a unique 32-character hash, so you don't need to hand over any personal information to get started. The company communicates regularly with users, operates independently, and frequently commissions third-party audits of its infrastructure for added peace of mind. This VPN supports all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
In use, the VPN performs well. It keeps your IP address and DNS requests reliably encrypted with free obfuscation tools, support for both WireGuard and OpenVPN, and a dependable kill switch that keeps you protected if the connection drops. Unlike Proton VPN Free, this one lets you choose your own server, comes with ad blocking, and supports streaming on the free plan, making it more useful for trying another region's library. The only downsides are that the Free tier doesn't support torrenting or port forwarding, and you can easily hit its data cap with regular use.
Notable Mentions
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Hotspot Shield Free:
Hotspot Shield Free has no usage limit and doesn't require you to make an account, so you can download and start using it right away. It's also one of the only free options that allows you to download torrents. Its privacy policies and business practices are awful, though, making Proton VPN Free a better choice if you need unlimited data.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 09, 2026:
We've updated this article with Proton VPN Free as our top pick for everyday use and Windscribe Free as our best pick for privacy. We've also shortened and clarified our recommendations text.
Aug 05, 2026:
We've adjusted the introduction to make it easier to decide which free VPN service to choose. We've also made some minor adjustments in our picks for accuracy.
Jun 11, 2026:
We've reviewed our picks to ensure that they're still the best options, and haven't made any changes.
Apr 24, 2026:
We've updated this article to reflect that Windscribe now supports hashed account login. We've reviewed and verified that our current recommendations remain the best picks, and have tweaked the language in our Notable Mention for clarity.
Feb 19, 2026:
We've reviewed this article and haven't made any changes to our main picks, but we've added Hotspot Shield Free to the Notable Mentions section.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are currently the best free VPNs for most people. We prioritize clear privacy policies and reliable protection over marketing and unverified claims. We also factor in user feedback and the VPN company's reputation within the community.
When choosing a VPN, consider what you need it for and understand its limitations. Depending on your risk profile, using one at all times is probably unnecessary. Modern websites, browsers, and devices have ample built-in security measures to protect you from the most common threats. If you want to learn more about today's industry standards for securing data on the internet, check out our articles on AES-256 encryption and Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA).
With that in mind, here's the list of all the free VPNs we've tested.